Guard-rail tie-plate and chair.



J W STEPHENSON GUARD BAIL TIE ILATE AND CHAIR.

i APPLICATION FILED MAB. 8, 1910. 984,310. Q Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

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s I- .s s n n W J W STEPHENSON GUARD RAIL TIE PLATE AND CHAIR. I Arrmonzoxinmn'mms,1910f 984,310. Patented Feb. 14,1911.

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' 'wrrma sEs J. W; STEPHENSON. GUARDRAIL TIE PLATE Amp 01mm. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 1910.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

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' WITNESSES 1. W. STEPHENSON. GUARD RAIL TIE PLATE ANDGHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 8, 1910.

eaas ia enrrnn erarne IOHN \V. STEPHENSON. OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR- TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE,

CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND. OHIO, A CORPORATION OF (Ill-I10.

GUARD-RAIL TIE-PLATE AND CHE-LIB.

Specification o'f Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. FA, 1911.

Application filed March 8. 1910'. Serial Non-548,036

To all whom it may concern:

Beat known that Lul onx \V. STEPHEN- SON, of Toledo, Lucas county, Ohio. have 111- ventecl a neu and useful Guard-Rail Tie- Plate and Chair, of WlllCll the following is a full, clear, and exaet'deseription, referent-e beni had to the aeeoinoanvin drawings. a 1 a i. TEOlllllllg part of this speeitieat ion. in Wind!- Figure l is a plan new showing a preferred form of nrv invention: Fig. "2 is aside elevation oi? the saute: Fig. 3 a per- SPECtiYG View of the chair and he v; Fig. l is a cross-section of the same; Fig. 5 is a per speet'ive View of the ehair-operating k0); Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the tie plate; Fig. 7 is a perspective \lQW of the brace hey; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the rail brace; Fig. 9 is a view similar to 1, showing a uiodilied form of eonstruetion; and Fig. 1a is' a set tion on the lineX-X oil Fig. 9.

My invention relates to the securing aud bracing. of guard rails.

Heretoiore, the inner base 'ltanee of the guard ail has been machined oil to bring: the. guard rail auilit-ientlv close to the main rail. and the corresponding 'llane'e of the main rail has: been notched or reeeased to re eeive. the spilt es. The inner portion at the guard rail head \vears au'ayrapidly in service, owing to the grinding aelion ol' the inide faces oi? the wheels. space between the heads ol the rail-. oliieh space should be maintained (t ll ltllli. When rail vithout the use of Spikes engaging the tie. v I I My invention provides for easy and quick adjustment of the guard rail, so that the traelnnen will have no excuse for not keeping it to the proper gage.

it also consists in combining with the adjusting shoe or chair for the guard rail a guard rail brace and adjustable securing nie'ans therefor.

1n the preferred form of n1 v invention. l: also provide for doing aiva with the eutting of the base {hinge of the guard rail or supporting; its base above the base of the main rail, so that it 'ean helu'ought to the proper \vithout outlineeither rail base.

It also eonsiets in usinga guard rail of less height. in lllfllll ll'lllfl thesaine on adjustiug means; and further, in the eongtruetion ant. arrangement oi the parts as hereinafter more fully described. 4

ln the drawing. referring to the form of l ies. l to S. iueluaire. repreheuts tie plate. having spike holes as shown a l" 3 hv which it may be secured to the ties. The tie plate is rn'ovided \vith upwardlr and pre ierablr inwardly inclined projertiona -l-. 4.

near one end. \rhieh ma he connected by the lllt'illltLl well 7-. 'lhe inner fares oi then.

projel-tions are preferably provided with lhi enlarges the 1 horizontal inelined races. 1. U to engage the I lllt'llllttl tat-e5 T; T of the -hair operating this face becomes \vorn. the tlzlt'lillttll are' Sll].)ll0SQ(l to draw the spikes. more theauard rail (loser to the main rail. to the proper gage; and then again spilce (loan the guard rail. In practice. thia is so inueh trouble that ii is Flightedlrv the traehun'n. a i dlraihnent; oeeur. (*Hptt'lfill) on eurvw. owing to the wheel not being; held on the main rail h inean of the guard rail. aiiu'e the dis- \ided with a hole ll to reeeive a taut-e hetu'eeu their heada has heroine leug 'lln ened by wear. the guard rail (an be used. since when one cut away and the guard rail turned around and i "l again.

My invention 3* t le iened to overetuue this diliieult v in unspiltine Zilltlilltn'lllfl the guard rail aiter wear. and it consists in proridiug means for holding and adiustirrq the .illlartl Moreover. only ones-uh of i inn shoe or rhair 1.3. 'lheae lugs are proha e flange I- eul aaav the other cannot he l rided with slolxhn'hose walls are ineliued to the vertical. the slots being of diiierent ice and suit ahl ahaped to receive the Wedge lcev l u-hieh alao has a longitiulinal hole to revolve thev bolt 11'. The smaller end of the wedge "ev preferably enters a boss portion 19 in the u'ianuer ehon'n in Figs. 3 and preferably provided with a hook-shaped clip held down by the main rail.

portion 21 to engage the inner flange of the guard rail, and below this I have shown a projecting plate portion This plate portion 22 is reduced in width, so as to'fit between the clip portions 23 which rise from the tie plate and engages the inner'base flange of the main rail 24. These clips preferably rise from rests 25, from which'side ribs 26 extend toward the projections 4 to guide and hold the sliding'chair or shoe 15 in place. 27 is another cross-rest onthe tic plate for themainjrail, the plate having at this end an upwardly and inwardly extending transverse projection 28, engaged by the wedge-shaped rail brace 28, as shown in Figs.'1 and 2. The corresponding faces of the brace and projections are inclined longitudinally to give a wedge action, and the brace is held in wedge position by the bolt 30 extending through it and through a flange 31 on the projection. It willbe noted that the clip 21 and the seat for the guard rail are above the level of the clips 23 and the seat for the main rail. For'the' guard rail I preferably use a lighter rail section of less height than the main rail, so that their heads will be substantially on a level. In order to provide for drawing back of the guard rail, if it is adjusted too close to the main rail by turning the nut of the key 8, Ishow a screw-bolt 32 passing through a hole in the web and screwed into a boss 33 at the rear end of the sliding chair, a springfi t being provided between the web and the head of the bolt. Thisspring will draw back the guard rail far as the inclined wedge key 8 will allow. In order to further hold down the chair, I may provide in the lower face ot the plate portion 22 a central bulge 35,

which fits in a slot 36 in the plate, being This, however, is not essential, as the main rail base fits over the plate 22.

In adjusting the parts, the tie plate is placed in position under the main rail, whieh ei'igages the clips 23. main rail is then inserted. driven home. and the bolt drawn up to hold it; in adjusted position. The chair being put; in position, the. guard railv is placed on it with its inner flange engaging the clips 21, the brace F2!) is driven into wedging position and secured by the key 16, which is drawn home by the bolt 17, thus moving it inwardly and down wardly against'the brace, and the chair key 8. is then inserted and driven or drawn lengthwise until the guard rail is mljuste l to the properdistance from the main rail.

' This is usually done b movin it a ainst a The brace for the In Figs. 9'and 10, I show a similar form of the invention, wherein the sliding chair is used. for adjusting the guard rail, but the bases of the two rails are at the same level, thus requiring the inner base flange of the guard rail to be cut away. This gives the aulvantlage of adjustment although the guard rail base is cut as before. In this form, the tie plate 2 is used with the spike holes 3, the projections 4, the web 5", these projections having the inclined faces to coiiperate with the similar faces on the wedge-key 8 for the sliding chair. This chair is somewhat different in form, being a plate resting on the tie plate, and preferably having a central extension 22 under the base flange of the-main rail 24*. The tie plate has the clips 23? for the main rail, and the.

central slot to receive the bulge 35 flof the extension. The clip 21* is between the clips 23 and engages the cutaway base flange of the guard rail this being on the same level as the base flanges of the main rail. The brace 29 for theguard rail is shown as having an inclined face and is generally similar to'the brace 28 of the first form, being drawi'i endwise bya bolt no key being used. In this modified form, parts similar to those of Fig. 1 are designated with "the same numeral with the letter :1 applied.

The advantages of my invention' result first from the use of an adjustable device. by which the guard rail may be secured and adjusted without spiking- Also, in the pre- I ierred Form, from the arrangement of thera ilswith their bases at: different levels, thus avoidii'igrutting or notching of the rail base-s. In this form. when one side of the guard rail head has been worn away,= this rail may be turned around and the other portion of its head used, thus giving double life For the guard rail. No notching of, the main rail base is required. I prefer to use the braces and wedge-securing means as above shown and described, though other forms of brat-es and securing means may be en'iployed. In both terms the operator can adjust the guard rail by simply turning the nut on the key wedge for the chair.) Therefore, for adjusting these guard rails he need only carry an ordinary wrench. In the preferred form,

the guard rail is cheaper, because of less weight per yard.

The tie plate; chair, and the securing means for the rails may be varied widely within the spirit of my invention, and the laterally; substantiall as described.

3. A guard rail tie plate having a sliding guard rail support, the members being shaped to guide the support against sidewise move ment, and mechanism for adjusting the guard rail support relative to the plate; substantially as described.

A guard rail support having clamps engaging botlrbase flanges ot the guard rail, and mechanism on the other side of the guard ail fromthe main rail arranged to adjust the guard rail support and its clamps toward and from the main rail; substan tially described.

5'. A tie plate having means for securing a main rail thereon, a sliding support arranged to carry the guard rail, nism f0 adjusting the guard rail support toward the main rail; substantially as described.

G. A guard rail tie plate having a guard rail movable laterally thereon and a wedge device on the other side of the guard rail from that of the. main rail and arranged to adjust the guard rail laterally independently of the. main rail; substantially as de scribed.

7. A guard rail tie plate having a sliding shoe or support, means for securing the guard rail thereto. and a wedge device arranged to adjust the guard rail support laterally; substantially described.

8. A guard rail tie plate having projections, a guard rail supported thereon, and Wedge mechanism cooperating with the projections and means arranged to move the wedge mechanism enduise to adjust the guard rail support laterally; substantially as described.

9. A tie plate having a sliding support for aguard rail, a guard rail brace on the support, and mechanism for adjusting the support laterally of the track; substantially as described. w

an d mecha-' 10. In a guard rail system, a tie plate device arranged to support the guard rail With its base flange above that of the main rail, said device having clamps for both base flanges of the guard rail, and means for adjusting said device toward and away from the main rail; substantiallyas described.

1]. In a guard rail system, a tie plate,a movable support thereon having clamps for both base flanges of the guard rail and mechanism for adjusting said support on the tie plate toward and from the main rail; substantially as described.

12. A guard rail support arranged to carry the guard rail base at ,a level above and overlapping the main rail base, and mechanism tor adjusting the guard rail toward and from the main rail; substantially as described.

l3. tie plate arranged to support a main rail. a sliding support on the .plale having clamping means tor the guard rail,

said support being arranged to carry the guard rail base at a level above the main rail base. and mechanism tor adjusting the guard rail support laterally; substantially as described.

l4. tie plate having securing clips for a main rail. a movable. support for the guard rail having a clip device staggered relatively to the clips for the main rail, and mechanism for adjusting the sliding guard rail support: substantially as described.

13. mov: ble guard rail support. having means tor clamping the guard rail independentlv ol the tie, and mechanism for adjusting the guard rail support in both directions to -ard and from the main rail; substantially as described.

16. A tie plate having projections near each end. a brace cooperating with one pro jection to engage the main rail. a sliding shoe f r the guard rail, and a key device cooperating ivith the other projections to. adjust the shoe: substantially described.

17. In a guard rail support, a sliding shoe. and wedge mechanism arranged to adjust the shoe laterally: substantially as described.

13. In guardrail support. a sliding shoe, a wedge device arranged to adjust the. same laterally. and a bolt arranged to draw the wedge device endwise; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

- JOHNWV. STEPHENSON.

Witnesses JOHN J Manama, MARK T{TYEHI\'. 

